The Sandman's Dream (Sandman Fanfic)

14

"Sweet dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree. I travel the world and the seven seas. Everybody's looking for something."~Eurythmics

ERIS

    Dream apologized for his words but I still needed some time to heal fully from what he said about me. I understood that he was confused about these feelings because I was also confused. Dream was an ethereal being that probably wasn't used to the strong intense emotions of a mere mortal but then again he was once in love with Nada and she was mortal so it didn't make sense. Though as an apology Dream allowed me to live with him in The Dreaming until we could figure out how to retrieve my memories.

    Right now he was showing me his castle and all that entailed within it's walls from the many rooms that I didn't think he needed. Then was his throne room that stood on top of a long spiral staircase. Then there was a room with mirrors with floating objects in the middle.

    "What are these?" I asked wanting to touch them but I winced my hand back because something told me it wasn't a good idea.

    "These are the sigils of my siblings. If I want to speak to them I use them to contact them. Like my Helm is mine." he answered I saw the many different sigils in front of me; a book, a ankl, a glass heart, a ring that looked like a hook, a ball of energy that was constantly moving and one remained empty. "From left to right; It is my oldest brother Destiny the book, my oldest sister Death the ankl you met her, the empty one used to be a sword which belonged to my brother Destruction who I have not seen in three hundred years, the glass heart belongs to my young sibling Desire, the hooked ring belongs to his twin and my younger sister Despair and finally the youngest sister with the energy belongs to Delirium who was once Delight. Do not ask me why she changed her name because no one knows."

"It must be nice to have family...I wish I knew if I had any." I explained watching him flash me a pity smile and then held out his hand for me to take from him. He led me from the room as we entered another, it was a vast majestic library filled from top to bottom with books. "Wow..."

"This is Lucienne's domain. Guardian over the Dream Journals of all of the living and dead." Dream answered just as he spoke her name Lucienne appeared from the one aisle holding a book in her arms.

"Oh hello there sir didn't expect to see you...Eris good to see you are still with us." she smiled I nodded watching her turn again and we followed behind her to a table with a lot of books dropping them.

"That is alot of books...what are these all for?" I asked feeling my fingers touch the book and had a strange feeling hit me.

"These books are going to help Lord Morpheus track the rogue dreams that escaped The Dreaming," Lucienne answered I watched her take a small bundle and handed them to him.

"Would you like some help?" I questioned offering my help seeing Dream nod that he didn't mind as I picked up the book that I touched. A strange sense  filled my chest as I felt images rush past my mind and they were horrid. I could see bloody victims with there eyes missing and a man in a yellow suit carving them from the victims skull. Gasping I dropped the book in my hand and almost stumbled backwards with Dream rushing to my side with his inhuman speed and holding me in his grasp.

"Are you alright my dear?" Dream asked I shuttered trying to get the images out of my mind when I looked at him.

"I saw an awful man in a yellow suit cutting eyes out of people's skulls." I shuttered watching Dream look to Lucienne then helping me steady my footing now. There look told me that they knew who I was talking about as Dream didn't release me from his grip. "Who is he?"

"His name is The Corinthian...he is a nightmare and one of the ones who escaped." Dream answered, his eyes told me that he was curious to how I saw what I saw but I also wanted to know how I saw it. His face then turned to look at Lucienne again before she nodded that she understood him. "You think you can do whatever you just did again and maybe see if you can find him?"

"I can try," I replied taking the book I dropped and sitting down in the chair opening it to read the pages before me.

"Let me know what you find...I will return shortly." Dream muttered turning on his heel and moved rapidly from the room until it was just Lucienne and I.

DREAM 

    I had many questions about Eris and her powers but now she was able to see The Cornithian gave me even more questions. Moving into my throne room I saw the stained glass in front of me. Glass depicting the three nightmares that were missing; from left to right there was Gault, a shape-changer, The Corinthian, feeding on dreamers, and surprisingly Fiddler's Green. 

    Lucienne arrived into my throne room while I was trying to figure out what would be my next steps when she looked worried. I think she was worried that Eris' abilities were a threat just like I did but like my sister said only I knew for sure if she was. So until then I was going to keep her close just in case I needed to do something else.

    "Has Eris had any luck with tracking The Corinthian?" I asked her watching her shake her head no which told me that whatever that happened in that moment was a total surprise. Her eyes then said to me that there was something else that was bothering her. "What is wrong Lucienne?"

"While you and Miss. Eris were attending to your tools I made it my mission to search for everything I could find on her." Lucienne began I turned to look at her with a concerned look on my brow.

"What did you find?" I exclaimed seeing her hand tightly holding a book close to her chest. I got that she was also suspicious of Eris like I was but now I was more worried to hear what she found.

"I spent hours searching for anyone that may know her starting with the woman she mentioned and hoped maybe something in there would help me learn Eris' true identity but..." Lucienne began as I advanced down a few steps so that I was close enough to hear what she learned. Her face though told me what she found wasn't good at all. "She doesn't exist sir."

"What do you mean she does not exist? You can see her just as I can." I answered watching Lucienne nod that she agreed.

"Which is why it is odd. I can sense that her presence belongs in The Dreaming but I can't find anything about her. No name...no family...no dreams or nightmares, nothing to connect those missing dots." Lucienne explained I looked down now, could my sister have been wrong and Eris was a threat to the realm after all? "So what are you planning to do next sir?"

I was about to speak when I heard footsteps approaching fast and turning I saw Eris clutching a book into her hands. She was in a panic when she came and I took a step towards her to meet her halfway.

"What is it my dear?" I whispered, trying to ease her panic while not revealing the information I was just told.

"I tried but couldn't find this Corinthian but I saw something else when I touched this book." she began handing me the book as I saw the name Rose Walker etched onto the cover. Glancing at the pages, I saw that it was a 21-year-old girl from New Brunswick, New Jersey. "I don't know what I saw but I saw this girl standing in the middle of The Dreaming. She had this fog-like substance radiating from her, and when she pushed it, I saw this castle be reduced to rubble."

My eyes widened by Eris' explanation as my gaze met Lucienne almost like she also knew what I was thinking. Looking down at the book in my hands I felt my powers pulse and I sent them to the ceiling opening a portal to the sleeping young girl.

"Who is she? What is she?" Eris asked I closed the book moving to get a better look of the young girl again.

"She is a Dream Vortex...a girl born every few thousand years with the ability to walk through dreams. She can also break down the walls of dreams that will destroy The Dreaming and will, in turn, wipe out all of humanity with it." I answered not removing my eyes from the sleeping girl above me.

"What are you going to do?" Eris asked moving up having a look at the girl above me and I knew if I were to leave now The Dreaming would be endanger again.

"I will watch her now and after that, I will figure out the next step," I answered knowing that wasn't the answer she was hoping for but right now that was all I had for her. If this girl Rose was the Dream Vortex then what did that make Eris if she didn't exist in the mortal world? I did think she was possibly the Dream Vortex but she never had any of the powers that went with what it came to be the Vortex. So with the information Lucienne found is correct that means Eris could indeed be a threat to me and the Realm, and if that was true would I be able to stop her? So many questions and no answers in sight.

~~Eris doesn't exist??? Well Eris may not be her real name Lucienne...~~